I ll leave the light on for ya
- Thread starter Rockmacc
- Start date
I have a 45 thats lit about 14 hours a day and all is well in that tank
I have a 30 (Hex) that a breeding pair of angels live in, its lit artificial for about 5 hours but catches the morning sun Though algea is an issue, they are happy.
Thank you all for your input
I have a 30 (Hex) that a breeding pair of angels live in, its lit artificial for about 5 hours but catches the morning sun Though algea is an issue, they are happy.
Thank you all for your input
Most fish spend time in an energy-saving state that can be called
"sleep", though it is probably different than "sleep" in most land
animals. Many fish, like Bass and perch, rest on or under logs at
night. The resting behavior of fish is very different from their behavior the
rest of the day. almost all fish sleep. I go into my fish room at night and turn the light on the cats are on the move and every thing else is motionless i think it is a good idea to have a bit of darkness it also custs down on algae.
"sleep", though it is probably different than "sleep" in most land
animals. Many fish, like Bass and perch, rest on or under logs at
night. The resting behavior of fish is very different from their behavior the
rest of the day. almost all fish sleep. I go into my fish room at night and turn the light on the cats are on the move and every thing else is motionless i think it is a good idea to have a bit of darkness it also custs down on algae.
I would look at the natural enviroment and what kind of light do they get in their natural settings. Lights out and cut back if they are from deeper waters. If your wanting to do night lights such as a moon light tank that would be a little differnt.
Fry said:
You're right, Light is good.. But only in a CYCLE. The fish became jumpy because outside movement looks like a major threat to them when they are always in the dark.
I recently had a long discussion with a man who used to own a LFS, as well as worked in a breeding hatchery for ornamental fish in florida. He worked as a fish specialist for both Petco and Petsmart.
One of the main topics of our conversation was mass-breeding, grow-outs, and hormone use when culturing fish. He had alot of interesting tips such as chemicals you can add to the water to enhance fertility to create larger batches of fry.. But one of the most interesting topics he touched down on was how to maximize the effeciency of the 'Night and Day' cycle to speed the growth of young fish. He emphasised how important it was to have a consistant cycle with proper nutrition and water quality. He said he could grow fish at an alarming rate, and he accredited to primarily the use of the night cycle.
You can call it Theory or Personal experience, but that sounds like a good source of info to me.
On a personal level, when I first starting keeping fish I left the tank lights on 24/7.. I would watch them at night to help me go to sleep. After about a month of this, I noticed my African Cichlids would constantly pace the corners of the glass and act very odd, 'shimmying' and 'scraping' themselves against decor.. Soon after, they came down with a bad case of the shimmies.. When I went to my LFS to cure the problem (my first disease outbreak), the LFS guy investigated my tank situation.. After he asked me multiple questions and came to no conclusion, I mentioned 'When I go to sleep at night, the Africans always go crazy in the corners of the tanks'.. And BINGO, his light went on (no pun), and he asked if I had ever turned the lights off..? Come to find out, that was my problem. I lost most the africans, but never made that mistake again..
Hope that helps!
great info miles theres also the internal clock fish live by (regular cycles )and need to act as in nature by shutting off the lights not only does it give the fish a period of rest it also helps them feed better they know that foods coming when the lights are on the majority of fish do not eat in the dark so i would have to belive a 24hr light would cause a lot of inbalances
Miles said:
That's interesting. Does he do that by shortening the cycle? Like instead of 24 hour cycle he only does 12 hour cycle. 6 hours of light time and then 6 hours of dark time. Or is it something else?
I turn mine on at night when I get home from work, I feed them at this time also and then turn them off when I go to bed.. I just figure ... why leave them on all day if I'm not home to watch them.. I enjoy sitting and watching my fish at night.. find it relaxing.
